What God sees, when He sees you

What do you think God sees, when He sees you? Out of some of the people who will read this, I have a sense that there will be those who have a negative response to that question, regrettably some of those are believers in Jesus Christ.

There is a familiar portion of scripture that addresses this question in a profound way that I would like to share with you. It is found in Psalm 42:7 — “Deep calls unto deep.” Over the years, I have heard this quoted in songs and mentioned in sermons, each time, feeling delight in my heart when it was spoken. Over time, I have studied and asked the Holy Spirit to show me the “depth” of its meaning.

First, we must understand the deep calling unto deep are the deep things of God calling to the deep things of man. Another way to say this is, the deep things God has placed in you, He is calling to the surface. His image and likeness, His Holy passionate desire to have communion with you and to be in His presence. As well as, to bring out your true identity and purpose, which is to walk in, and demonstrate His righteous rule on the earth, empowered by His love.

The word deep in this passage means great, in other words, “The Great I Am is calling you, unto greatness.”

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It is the Spirit of the living God bypassing all the surface junk in your life and going directly to your spirit. In part, it is living out John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus spoke this to the woman at the well (see John 4:17-18), a woman who had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband; a woman with a very bad reputation. I believe the reason for Jesus stating her tainted lifestyle, was not to cause her to feel shame, but rather to set her free from it. I believe this was the first time she may have had a man look at her with pure love and not lust, looking past the surface and gazing deep into her spirit. Jesus saw greatness in her, not what was true in the moment, but the truth of the image of God she was created.

It is important to bring out that when she left Him she came back with her entire village. This woman who was looked down by many, was whom Jesus chose to become the first New Testament Evangelist!

John 4:28-30: The woman then left her water pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

You see, what was true about this woman in this period of her life, was a lifestyle contrary to the ways of God. But Jesus looked beyond what was true, and saw the truth. Again, the truth being that she was made in the image of God, with the potential to change the world.

There may be some things in your life, that you’re not very proud of and possibly ashamed. But there is something greater than what is true in your moment, it is the eternal truth of who you are in Christ.

It is crucial to understand that Jesus not only died for you on the cross, He died as you.

2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

God allowed Jesus to become what He hated the most; sin. So you could become what he loved the most; His righteous Son. Jesus died as you, so you could live as Him. Through the death and miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your life, God sees Jesus when he sees you.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” - Ephesians 2:4-10 (NKJV)

There are many reasons to praise God, both found in scripture and out of our personal experience with Him. But, did you know that one of those reasons to you!

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well” — Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)

Beyond anything else I could ever share with you; I offer you Jesus. Regardless of who you are, or what you’ve done, God does love you. He sent His Son who paid the ultimate price for you. He died for your sins, but death could not hold Him. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you too can have a new and eternal life. Ask Him into your heart. Ask Him to heal you, to teach you His ways and to use you to help others. Welcome to the Kingdom.

Don Sturiano, is pastor of Kingdom Life Christian Church, which meets at 11 a.m. Sunday at3700 20 Sixth St. W., Bradenton. Information: 941-776-0026, www.kingdomlifechristianchurch.org. Faith Matters is a regular feature of Saturday’s Herald, written by local clergy members.

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